Friday, October 29, 2010

Court Ends Heirs Fight For Garrett Snuff Millions

from the amanda shafer collectionhanddated Jan 7

Philadelphia Penn-the 22 year old scramblve over the 17 million dollar Garrett Snuff fortune is at an end. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court Monday dismissed 14 appeals in the long court wrangle and paved the way for final distribution of the fortune.The tribunal, shuddering at the thought of what it called "A fishing expedition", gthat could go on for a century, affirmed a decree handed down in 1951 by the Philadelphia orphans court.That decree awarded that money to the heirs or assignees of three late first cousins of Henrietta S. Garrett, who died 22 years ago. "The findings of the court below satisfied everyone but the 26,000 disappointed claimants, " the Supreme court said.The appeals were taken by six different family groups. THe court dismissed each appeal individually. "It is not suprising to find," the decision stated, "22 years after the death of Henrietta Garrett, that some persons still sincerely believe that they are entitled to her estate as next of kin, and cannot understand how any court can fail to recognize their close relationship to their dear and treasured Henrietta, whom they never saw or knew but of whom they recently have became so fond."Appeals dismissed included one filed for MRs Caroline McDonald Wismiller of Omaha, NE.Recognized as heirs at law in the case were the three dead cousins: Herman A. Krestchmar of St Louis, who assigned his share to a nephew, Wilson Primm Kretschmar of Greenville, Miss., Dr Howard Sigismund Kretschmar, who made his daughter, Mrs. Constance Kreschmar Cook, Chicago housewife, his heir,; and Johann Peter Christian Schaefer of Bad Nauheim, Germany. The Schaefer heirs, mostly German farm folk, found that the Us alien property custodian had assumed title to the share which they will recieve.